Engaged to Squall Leonhart
by My Final Death
Summary: Rinoa, looking for revenge after overhearing her boss, tells the newspaper that she's married to Squall Leonhart. But what's Squall to do when he realizes he's engaged to a complete stranger?
1. Surprise Engagement

**I originally started this story four years ago, after reading a marvelous little work of fiction. This is currently my third revision of chapter one. The first time I wrote it, I only got to chapter two - in which, the characters were so horribly off balanced, that I called the whole thing off. **

**The second time, the characters were still quite a bit off, but with the help and guidance from a few of my reviewers, I was able to make a more appropriate representation in the later chapters. **

**This is the third time. And more than likely the last. I don't think I care to rewrite this stuff a fourth time. So, I sincerely hope it's acceptable to those out there. If you read this chapter, and move on to the next, and notice a huge difference in writing styles - please, tell me which one you prefer. I don't have the other chapters revised yet. Although, throughout this week, I'll be making changes here and there. Any words of advice will be greatly appreciated. **

* * *

Things weren't supposed to be like this; Rinoa Heartilly was quite sure of it. She shouldn't have had to feel as though she were a high-status criminal when slipping into work this morning. And she shouldn't have had the inclination to jump at the slightest brush and touch of a passing stranger. But perhaps more importantly, she shouldn't have been the one responsible for_ it_ in the first place.

The brunette wasted no time in mingling. Making a bee-line straight from the glass paneled entry-way to the mahogany toned work spot, she slipped into her desk and immersed herself with a stack of received faxes. Or rather, she at least made the attempt to do so; it wouldn't have made any difference if she'd been staring at blank copy-paper. She couldn't focus. It just wasn't there.

All she could think about was_ it._

"Rin?"

Blinking once, then twice, Rinoa tilted her chin upward toward the inquiring voice. A third blink was used to return the greeting, as if awaiting for the inquirer to finish the question.

"Wa'tcha all hunched over your desk for, like that? Y'look like you need. . . I dunno. Coffee. Y'can have a sip of mine," the other finished brightly, sliding a ceramic mug across the top counter space. "Although it's already gone a bit cold now. . ."

"Selphie, I don't think. . . I don't think I can drink that right now," came the rather melodramatic reply. Idly picking up a half-sharpened pencil that'd rolled off to keyboard's side, the distressed brunette pinched it by the middle and began drumming the eraser down with a reoccurring, 'tap', sound. "I think that'd just make my stomach churn even more."

"Huh?" Before, the co-worker had just been mildly curious about her compatriot's ailment. But with a pick-up of interest for the occurring situation, she leaned in against her elbows, peering over and down with slanted green eyes. "You ain't feeling sick, are you? You should take that home, if that's what it is, 'cause-"

Rinoa quickly cut her friend of, flicking a wrist dismissively in a 'go-away-you're-bothering-me' type motion."-You didn't happen to get the paper this morning, did you?"

"Uhhhm. . . 'Nah. I went online for the horoscope this time. Why? Did'ja get upset 'cause of some type of editorial?" Perhaps realizing she wasn't going to get a full confession anytime soon, Selphie made a disappointed pout - withdrawing from the desk space and straightening her posture. As if on cue, the phone began ringing, and with a playful mock-salute, she chirps out, "Well, I'll let yeh' get on with work then. Don't try to drown yourself in the toilet in the meantime; hold out until your lunch break, and come tell me all about it!"

While the tease was only meant in good humor, it didn't stop the flickering scowl that illuminated and faded across Rinoa's facial features. It wasn't a joking matter; not in her mind. And at this point, it didn't even feel like one of those things that she'd be able to laugh at later, either. This was truly a major life-crisis, and it very well could affect her for the rest of her working career. What her friend had apparently missed out on, by not coughing up a quarter or two for the weekly news, was the distressed brunette's very own engagement announcement. To the owner of the very corporation she worked for, no less.

But here was the real kicker:_ he didn't know about it yet. _

Which perhaps explained just exactly why her hand hesitated over the phone receiver, refusing to pick it up until the very last second, threatening to transfer the call to an automated message. With a quivering lower lip, she pressed the phone to her ear, before feebly giving the standard greeting, "Thank you for calling Ba-"

An unmistakably masculine voice interjected over her introduction in curt, crisp tones, "I want Miss Rinoa Heartilly on the line."

She couldn't bring herself to say it. The poor girl already knew who it was, even through a mechanical device. So instead of saying, 'This is she,' she managed what she could, with a shaky, "I-. . I-I. . . !"

"Report to my office immediately. Another is already on her way to cover your shift."

-_Click_-!

* * *

It'd all started two weeks ago. Really, it was just a snippet of a conversation. During one of the rare occurrences that Squall Leonhart, a leader in his own industry, managed to find himself out of the office and in one of the private break rooms, she'd just so happened to be passing by. The door was slightly cracked, and while it was technically eaves dropping, the brunette had no problems with rationalizing it as an educational experience. Everyone should know a little about their employer, right?

Of course, she exercised a certain amount of dignity. Instead of desperately stealing what glances she could through the slivered crack, she flattened the side of her head to the wall in order to listen in. . .

". . . -be a bachelor forever. I wouldn't want-. . ."

Pause.

"Hn."

"You know, you can't just- . . .-What do you think. . .? . . . -just absolutely GORGEOUS. . ."

Somewhere, a chair scuffed across the ground - as if one of them had chosen to stand up. "Whatever. What difference does it make? "

"What do you mean, 'What difference does it make' ? C'mon, man . . ."

"If . . . -desire for one. . . -just bed companions."

"Ha! If one of them could hear you now. . . Actually, speaking of that."

At that point, every nerve ending along Rinoa's spine tingled with sheer panic. Especially after a man, the one her employer had been talking to, decided to take a step into the hall-way. The door creaked open just a bit further, and there he was. A blonde-headed business suit, who still seemed to carry a casual air about him - despite the fact he was wearing at least five-hundred dollars worth of style. Quirking an eyebrow in the brunette's direction, he slapped a hand to the wooden door frame, and glanced back over his shoulder into the room - presumably at Squall. "I think you got a spy," he teased out mischievously, opening the door further to give the other a good look.

"Bring her in," came the curt reply. And it might've been Rinoa's imagination, but it didn't sound very pleased.

Well, what could she say? With a stiff nod, she forced her feet to move, and didn't stop until she was standing face-to-face with her employer. The blond, closing the door behind them, sauntered off toward the other side of the room, and found a place along the wall to lean against, with a rather bemused smirk playing across his cheeks. "Ah! Y-yes. . . Um! Good afternoon, Sir," she murmured awkwardly, pressing folded hands deep against her lap.

"Name?" Not offering even a smile, Squall clasped his hands behind his back, with his weight split evenly between feet, which he held shoulder-length apart.

Shoulders slumping, the girl at least attempted a feeble smile. "Rinoa Heartilly, Sir."

Still looking none-too-amused, Squall gave a slight nod of acknowledgement before continuing in sinuous tones, "And your position in the company, Miss Heartilly?"

"I'm the receptionist. I was on my lunch break, Sir." Pausing, she held up both hands in front of her, spreading them apart, with palms facing him. " I. . .I didn't mean to intrude."

Redirecting his gaze toward the hanging clock along the north wall, her employer responded rather dully, "Then I suggest you get back to your desk."

No arguments on her side! With a short nod of her own, the receptionist was already back-pedaling to the door. It only took a few more seconds for her to dismiss herself entirely, and to round the corner into the hallway. There, she paused to catch her breath - and consequently, heard the following snippet:

"That's why," Squall's voice stated quite bluntly, and presumably to his companion.

"Why, what?"

"Marriage . . . -mouse. . . .-would never catch me in matrimony."

The blond's response was a mere, hearty laugh, centering deep from somewhere within his stomach; however, Rinoa's response was quite the opposite. Even without hearing the full conversation, she'd heard enough to make her own assumptions - and it never occurred to her that she might've been wrong. It was such an exhilarating feeling, knowing that she was serving justice. That everyone in the world would, at least for a day or two, know that Squall Leonhart was a man that could be caught in matrimony. That he was, so very much, human, and able to fall to the charms of the fair sex.

* * *

And now . . .

Here she stood, ready to pay for it. In front of his office, and assuredly just a few feet away from a permanent dismissal for any job she could ever hope to obtain in her life span. . . . She couldn't do it. She couldn't bring herself to knock on the door; couldn't bring herself to even announce herself verbally. It was her employer's own personal secretary that finally noticed her, and much to Rinoa's horror, took immediate initiative to announce, with a page to his office, "Mister Leonhart, there's a young woman here to-"

"Send her in."

"Right away, Sir." And then, to the side, the secretary leaned over, ready to offer a few words of wisdom: "He's in a rather foul mood; it'd be best if you kept everything brief and to the point. Go right ahead."

Rinoa made a pitiful attempt to smile in 'thanks'. It was most apparent that her employer's underling hadn't fetched the morning news either. It was amazing how many people seemed to _not_ notice; she'd seen it just as clearly as if someone had gone and painted the streets in bright, red paint. It was there, after all, in bold print all across the first page. Tossing herself into her own grave, she reached forward and pressed her palm against the door knob. Just one twist, and she was inside; inside of one of the most elaborate office schemes one might imagine for a simple corporate business. Several bookshelves and display cases aligned the walls. A tasteful blend of decorative ornaments and modern paintings accompanied them. Rich collars, mahogany finishes, and a rather plush expanse of carpet that contrasted vividly with the gray tiled flooring leading in.

And there Squall Leonhart sat. With both hands pressed to his desk, and with a rather sinister downward slant to his eyebrows. It wasn't exactly a look of contempt, and yet, it was impossible not to feel the malicious intent that seemed to permeate throughout the entire office. He didn't offer her to take a seat, nor did he indicate that she would be welcomed to do so. On his desk was a single, vanilla file folder. The receptionist had no doubt in her mind that it held all the personal documents his staff may have possessed on her. When she refused to take a step further, or offer any type of vocal greeting, he wasted no time in staring off with, "My fiance."

Powder couldn't conceal the raging blush that threatened to overtake her facial features by this point. Giving the inside of her cheek a quick gnaw, she dared to take a step forward, intent on minimizing whatever punishment she would be receiving, "Sir, I could explain. . ."

Making a softened, yet clearly uninviting vocalization of, 'Hn', Squall leaned backward against his seat - allowing her an attempt to do so.

". . . But you might not like it," the receptionist warned. "I-. . . I really don't know why I did it myself, it was really more of an impulse, and I-"

Deciding to cut her off here, Squall raised a hand up, signaling for her silence before interrupting with a curt, "I don't like being an engaged to a woman I've never met before-"

"-Sir . . .!"

Rising his tone up even further, interjecting sharply over whatever objection she seemed intent on making, "Furthermore, I didn't enjoy hearing about said-engagement over the phone, when I received congratulations from a colleague. Now tell me, what explanation is it, that you have," drawing his gaze off of her for a moment, and onto the folder on his desk, he began shifting through the files it contained, "that can account for this." Finally finding what he was looking for, he withdrew a single sheet of paper, scanning over its entire body before finally focusing in on the middle section with a pointed index. "No mental illnesses to speak of, an impressive grade point average," Peering over the edge of the paper with a narrow silvered gaze, he paused just a moment before adding, "It goes beyond my fathoming."

Perhaps it was the singular fact that he wasn't yelling, that made Rinoa mentally cringe with every single softly spoken word that rolled off of his tongue. And it wasn't even what he was saying - he could've been speaking in a different language, and she would've still understood every single syllable that escaped from his lips: 'Who are you, why are you here, and who do you think you are?'

And yet . . .

That same exact feeling that'd raged within her two weeks ago, centering from the core of her being, began steadily building up. Naïve she might've been, but as a receptionist (and the taker of many customer service calls!), Rinoa knew when she was being bullied, and had more than enough experience with the little nagging sensation known as intimidation. It was a business tactic, and even if her employer didn't vocally threaten her, it was the implication in his tone that finally inspired her to straighten her shoulders, and manage out, "I understand that you have every reason to be angry with me, Sir. And I fully understand that, if you truly wished, there could be some type of legal-"

"I'm already well aware of what I'm capable of; if you-"

Asserting herself, Rinoa raised her voice, just as he had earlier, to a shrill pitch. "Don't speak over me! Let me finish!" Pausing only for a second regain to her composure, the brunette finally closed the distance between herself and his desk. Taking the liberty to lean forward, she slapped both palms down onto the polished surface - causing a slight, irritable twitch in his eyebrow - before pouring out; confessing all, "You have met me before, Sir. Two weeks ago. And that's why I did it! Because of what you said. Because of what you said about. . . About. . .!"

One brow raised above the over, and with an incredulous parting of the lips, he questioned softly, "And that prompted you. Something that I said."

"I. . . I wanted you to eat your words! And you called me a mouse!" "Indeed," her employer murmured silkily, casting one final glance toward the information in his hands before filing them back inside the folder's contents. "And for that you've landed us in this mess." Folding his hands on top of it, Squall leaned forward against his elbows, invading against his receptionist's personal space should she so choose to remain hovered over his desk. Not offering another verbal prompting, he merely stared at her, locking eyes with her onyx gaze. One eyebrow remained perched above the other - a sort of, 'Well, what do you propose?' type expression.

Sinking her teeth into her bottom lip, Rinoa stood her ground - even if she did feel compelled to look down, toward his hands, rather than face up to his steely gaze. "I . . . I could retract it! Say it was all a mistake. I-if . . . If I did that, wouldn't we-"

Even if his lips didn't flinch one bit from the tightly drawn line they formed, the receptionist had a distinct impression he was smirking at her, especially when quickly interjected with his own trump, "That won't be possible. In my half dazed state to the revelation that I was betrothed," he gave a tilt of his head toward her direction indicatively, "I accepted my colleague's congratulations; we're expected to attend a little celebration party-"

"You didn't accept!" Both eyes widened in horror, and shock, perhaps to Squall's delight, the brunette flinched upward, withdrawing from his desk space.

"They wanted," he continued in a drawing voice, as if he'd been relaying the final score of an athletic match, "to get a look at my new fiance."

"Couldn't you have. . . Couldn't you have told them . . . I-it . . . It was a mistake! That you wanted time alone with me to celebrate! Anything! Why did you. . . !" Cutting herself off short, Rinoa clasped a hand against her mouth with a tight hold.

Finishing in a dull tone, her employer held both hands out, palms upward, in a, 'What could I do?' type of gesture. "We don't all have your devious mind." And then a pause. With a tinge of irony, he quickly concluded, "Miss Heartilly, I'm in business. After careful consideration, of both your files, and of the situation, and of the timing, I've decided the engagement is to stand. You've effectively forced me to 'eat your words', as you put." And, perhaps with just the slightest bit of humor slipping through - even if only a dark and bitter type, "We'll see how well you eat yours; to the bitter end."

* * *

**Hopefully better, my friends, hopefully better! Remember, R&R if you'd like to see the rest of these chapters revised, all the way up until 6.  
**


	2. An Eager Discussion

**Engaged to Squall Leonhart**

**Yeah yeah yeah :P This chapter is shorter than the other. Thank you for the support and the advice my dearest reviewers My next update will hopefully be on Monday during my computer class. Until then, enjoy and feel free to make suggestions or criticisms :3**

"To the bitter end…?" Rinoa repeated in a hollow voice.

"Hn." He looked away and began rubbing the scar that ran across his face as if he were pondering how wise it would be to put himself through that self-torment. His stared without blinking at the name plate on his desk while Rinoa's mind began to race with more solutions…

"I assume there are relatives to be contacted." His eyes were upon her now.

"What?" She blinked. _Why would you need to… _ "For what reason?"

"Parental consent," he replied in an even tone.

"No, my parents are dead and I don't have any close relatives." She paused for a second after rubbing her index finger of the tip of her thumbnail. "But, that shouldn't matter if we could just –"

He interrupted her abruptly. "No contacts. Shall I assume that there is no significant other as well?" His voice was business like, but his eyes seemed to be throwing out an insult.

Rinoa flushed and clenched her hands at her sides. "No," she said, mincing what she truly wanted to say, "there are none at all!"

"Hn." He looked at her hands for a moment and walked over behind his desk and elegantly took a seat. He leaned back and began to finger his scar again, closing his eyes and sighing. Rinoa hesitantly took a step towards his desk and bit her bottom lip, trying to gather up the courage to speak. "Mr. Leonhart…"

He looked up at her, and for the first time his gaze was not one of a superior looking down at an inferior, but rather a partner looking at his co-worker for suggestions. Encouraged, she licked her lips to make the pitch for another solution, but unfortunately for her on this occasion he spoke first.

"Lunch. We will speak at lunch." He sat up straight and threw the newspaper displaying the front page down into the waste bin, and the Squall she was becoming used to came back; stoic, controlling, sexist, arrogant…

"Lunch? But I promised my Co-worker I'd-" she stopped, feeling the daggers his eyes were throwing at her. "… I'll wait outside the front doors," she mumbled in her submittal. _Maybe being somewhere less formal than the business office will make things easier anyways._

When Rinoa come back to her desk, she felt the sudden urge to just hide in the bathroom until her lunch break. Her ditzy co-worker apparently had gotten a hold of a newspaper and time to read it after all because now she was reading the article featuring her "secret engagement revealed". However, that was unfortunately not an option. Seeing her out of the corner of her eyes, Selphie turned around in her chair and waved in greetings with a doughnut in her hand excitedly.

Feeling the sweat beginning to build up in her armpits again, Rinoa sat down in her desk, trying to act as if everything was normal. This took considerable effort with a brunette at one's side bobbing up and down with a half eaten doughnut in her mouth. She laughed uncomfortably, and grinned sheepishly. "I guess you know now."

"WHY DIDN'T YOU-"

Rinoa, flushing every color of red, placed a finger of her lips and Shh'd, signaling for her to lower the vocal decimals.

"Why didn't you tell me you were two were engaged," she whispered excitedly. Her face seemed as if it'd get stuck in the wide smile it now displayed.

Forcing herself to laugh and unsure of what to say, Rinoa rubbed the back of her neck, "Ha ha, yeah…" _Oh gosh this is horrible…_

"I mean, like… WOW! I didn't even know ya'll two were dating! It's like-"

"Selphie, your coffee!-"

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Selphie was one of those people who talked with their hands… which is a very bad thing when cups of hot liquids are around. In her excitement she managed to knock over her coffee onto some of her paperwork and onto the ground – not to mention she broke cup. "Oh no!"

_At least she's distracted now_… Rinoa slowly let out a sigh, and began to help save the documents while Selphie disappeared to the bathroom to find some paper towels. While she was busy with that, a beautiful blonde walked through the front doors with the same crystal blue eyes as Squall in a pink dress that clung to a very shapely hour-glass figure.

Politely she coughed into her hand to try and grab the receptionist's attention. When that didn't work, she tried louder but only to no avail. Sighing irritably, she leaned against the desk. "Excuse me."

Rinoa froze, and smiled a bit embarrassed. _How unprofessional looking_, "Hello," she began her well rehearsed greeting, "I am Rinoa, can I assist you in any way?"

The woman flashed a fake smile that did not reach her eyes. "Heartilly I presume?" Her look seemed cold and Rinoa could detect a sense of hostility. "Then it makes sense…" She said aside to herself, yet it was still audible enough to be heard. "Is your…" She hesitated, "fiancé… in today?"

Rinoa, feeling a bit irritated by the way this woman was looking at her, tried to keep her voice friendly. "Yes, Mr. Leonhart is in today. If you go all the way down this hall to the elevator –"

"I've been to his office enough times to know where it is, thank you very much," she said in an all too cheerful and insinuating type way, and flashed another smile – this time a bit triumphantly, and began to walk towards the elevator with her hips swinging back and forth widely.

Biting back an angry reply, Rinoa glared at the mess without seeing it. All of the negative feelings she'd forgotten concerning her boss were unexplainably quickly returning. She didn't see Selphie returning either, although her body mechanically functioned to help pick up the broken bits of ceramic.

The blonde made her exit out the same entrance to the building (the other being on the south side) an hour later and didn't even acknowledge the receptionist, but Rinoa's attitude was not the better for it. Selphie had constrained herself to keeping quiet – occasionally letting a whimper of frustration out periodically when she couldn't read through the coffee stains. A tension-filled silence took place in what was usually giggles and whispers all the way until their lunch break.

**This seems like a good stopping place for now :P Until next time, farewell!**

**Next Chapter: A trip out to lunch! O.O Surprise, surprise!**


	3. A Simple Brunch

**Engaged to Squall Leonhart**

**I am to be congratulated; this is the first "new" chapter I've written for this fiction :P ((yes .. the original never got quite up off the ground)) so for those of you that have seen this story before – yay for you! **

**And also, ((I can't work my e-mail right now , )) thank you Emerald-Latias on helping shape Squally-poo up a little more :p And also a hearty thank you to everyone who has reviewed **

Rinoa's lunch break started at 12:30, but being deliberately difficult, there she sat at 12:43 with her arms crossed firmly across her chest and her legs pinched together. Her cheeks were still flushed with the bitterness she had felt earlier. Had to make some calls? Ha! _Oh yes, he certainly had to make one…_ The spitefulness rose up in her blood again. The exact same feeling had kept her from meeting her boss outside the building thirteen minutes ago on time.

Another minute passed.

Glancing at the clock on the wall, she checked her emotions. Why did it matter to her what her boss has done, and is still (apparently) still doing? Selphie had already left about ten minutes ago… She shook her head. _Focus_.

Another minute passed.

She impatiently flicked her hair over her shoulder. _I wonder if he's out there waiting for me…_

Another minute…

_He better not had forgotten about me! _She thought irritably. Somewhere in the back of her mind she knew she was behaving childish. All she wanted was the satisfaction of getting him angry, but she was beginning to get worried about what the consequences of such actions would be. It was obvious her job was on the line, and God knows what-

"Hn."

_His _voice snapped her out of her thoughts, and she abruptly turned around to see him standing right behind her. His eyes rested on her computer screen which had long been turned off.

Excuses began to bubble up in her mind, and not a single of them were plausible. When his gaze turned to her, she could feel the annoyance radiating from him. Words weren't exactly needed, he could tell what she had been doing – although he was probably unaware of the reason why.

"I expect you to be on time next time." His words were soft and pleasant enough for other ears, but to hers they sent the hairs on the back of her neck erect.

"Next time?" She gave a confused blink.

"Later," he said, motioning for her to stand up. "Later" obviously meant lunch and she was quite sure at that moment that she didn't want to hear what his decision was.

He began walking towards the exit, but Rinoa's feet were still planted firmly in the ground and unable to move. She spoke before thinking and as a result her voice was louder than Squall's preference.

"But I don't want there to be a 'next time!'"

Several people turned around and stared at the receptionist with odd looks. No doubt they were listening in on them anyways, but now they were openly giving them attention. That familiar flush crept up to her cheeks, especially when she saw Squall's entire body tense up. Squall, however, was a business man – and as per his job, he was accustomed to awkward moments.

He walked back towards her and placed an arm around her back. Completely caught unaware, Rinoa found her self being led out the doors like an obedient lamb. She never heard the fake laugh or the lines meant for others to hear. What she did hear was a low murmuring meant for her ears only. "Never make a display like that again in the work place." As soon as they were out of sight, Squall immediately let go of her as if she were unclean and led her to his car.

Rinoa and Squall sat opposite of each other in a booth. Squall had made the order – two cups of coffee and two identical sandwiches. The waitress had smiled and "Aww'd" at the order, and made some comment along the lines of, "Well, aren't you just two peas in a pod?"

Rinoa felt as if the woman could not have made a more incorrect statement.

Squall looked composed, stoic, in control… and she felt like a little flimsy sheet of fabric being tugged on in every direction. Unfortunately her previous assumption that things would become less complicated out of the business area had proved incorrect. He was still devilishly handsome boss, while she was the little- _Just breathe, Rinoa._ This time it would be different, she told herself. She would put an end to this. _He just has to start it,_ she thought miserably, unable to bring herself to say anything.

After they ate – in silence – Squall initiated the conversation. "After much consideration…" he hesitated for a moment, "I have decided on the best course of action."

"Oh." She felt dumb, her mind going completely blank.

Perhaps feeling her consent in his choice, he continued. "Don't worry, it more than benefits you."

"Benefits me?" Her question was asked innocently enough, but her tone was flat.

He leaned forward and narrowed his eyes. "Hn."

"Mr. Leonhart, I only did this out of pure revenge. Nothing else."

"Blackmail held no part of it."

"None at all," she bit her words off.

He didn't respond, but merely placed a gloved hand in his pocket and pulled out a small black box with leather like texture. Rinoa's eyes grew wide, and she felt her chord of fear being strummed delicately. Perhaps fear wasn't the best way to describe the feeling, but rather a rush of adrenaline as she felt a numbing apprehension. Her large eyes followed the box until he firmly plunked it down right in front of her. He had a grim expression on his face as he pulled back and crossed his arms over his chest.

"What is it…" She didn't have to ask, but she felt the need to clarify what she was seeing. Squall didn't bother answering. Slowly she reached out towards it and felt its smooth surface under her fingertips. Without picking it up, she carefully opened the lid and stared.

_No, no, no, this isn't right!_

"I don't want it!" She closed the lid and thrust it back at Squall.

The world seemed dim out, and all she could see was the bridge of her nose and the blurry white table as a background. She clamped all of her body limbs together and bit her bottom lip.

Squall looked down at the toppled over ring box. Setting it up right, he stared at the girl until she felt the courage to look back up at him again. When she finally did, she gave a final plea.

"Please Mr. Leonhart, can't we just call this off? I will leave your employ and I can tell everyone it was all a mistake, I…" Her voice trailed off.

"Five months, that is all that's needed." He shoved the box back towards her. "Five months of pretending to be my fiancé , four at minimum." He sighed and sat up straight. "We can keep this professional and you will be well compensated."

_Just like every other woman you've had…_ she thought bitterly, and met him eye to eye. "Oh really, and how is that?"

He gave a perplexed look, and scratched his chin. "You have the ring, and I have – " he removed yet another box from his coat and placed it beside engagement ring, " – another gift for your cooperation –"

"I can't accept that!" She firmly stated, without even looking. "You might as well shove dollars down my shirt if you-"

"Don't be foolish. You'll have to look the part anyways in public."

"What?" Feeling angry again, her voice began to rise slightly in pitch. "I suppose I could subjugate myself to playing the love sick fiancé in the office, but I am NOT going to go around to impress your high class business friends, just for them to laugh-"

"They will _not_ laugh at you but they _will_ find it odd if they do not see you wearing my ring and my jewelry."

"And let me guess, all of your _other_ women have worn them gladly?" She sneered triumphantly.

He challenged her back. "Does it matter?"

She sniffed, and raised her head up high. "Doesn't it?"

"Whatever," he shot back irritably, "you will wear it and you will find something suitable to wear tomorrow night; something worthy of Squall Leonhart's fiancé."

"No!" She crossed her arms over chest and gave him a steely glare.

"What in the hell is the matter with you," he growled out after a moment of silent.

"You're a meanie! And you haven't even asked me if I liked my ring yet!"

All she got back was a blank look in reply, yet she saw just a flicker of a smile play across his face. She opened the ring box again, and saw the diamond nestled right into the tiny gold band.

"The contrast against your onyx colored eyes," he stated dully. She looked up at him and raised a quizzical eyebrow. "It was in your profile," he inserted as a reply to the unspoken question.

Rinoa was sure that the color of her eyes wasn't in her profile, but she ignored that tiny little detail. She opened the box and a matching set of earrings and a necklace were beautifully displayed.

Feeling slightly awkward, she mumbled a thank you, and cautiously placed the ring on her finger as if it might hurt her. Squall made a movement as if he wasn't sure if he should help her or not, but decided against it and held on to the edges of the table.

"Well, now that that little bit of business is taken care off, what time shall I pick you up tomorrow?"

**Well, I'll leave that off for now. Next chapter: A party! O.O And the hooker makes a re-appearance! And perhaps Squall's own reasons for wanting to go on through this engagement revealed:3 ((no no no. Stop thinking Harlequin romance novel, it's nothing as corny as that XD))**


	4. Unplanned Affairs

-1**EEEEEEEK! I haven't updated in so long!! But I assure it won't happen again ; ; With school ending, and college starting I just simply haven't had time to update! But I have read every review, and I thank you very much **

Rinoa felt a sudden wave of self-consciousness sweep over her when she saw Squall's dark green Ferrari pull up to her house. She began to sink in her shoes as he opened the car door and stood up to full height. Such an attractive man… suddenly thoughts out of no where began to assault whatever inner peace she had made an hour ago. _Your hair is a mess! Your make-up was over done; your eye-shadow needs a touch up. This dress reveals those extra pastries you thought you could get away with, you're… _Every thought seemed to bubble down to, "You're not good enough to get in that car with that man, let alone under the pretense of being his date."

However, like a gentleman ("How much further from the truth could that be?") he nodded and opened her side of the car for her. There were no smiles, and she hadn't expected any. But she hadn't expected his eyes to drag across her either like a pair of claws, ripping her resolve to remain calm to shreds. Rather bravely, she felt, she lifted her eyes up to meet his. However, his expression was completely unreadable to her even as she stared into them for a few moments. As if realizing what she was trying to do, he shut the door rather abruptly and took his place behind the steering wheel.

"So… where are we going?" She asked softly, staring out the side of her window. Ten minutes on the road had seemed to drag on for hours. He didn't exactly help either with his deadly silence.

"To a club." Although his head didn't move he flicked his eyes over towards her and back onto the road.

"Oh…"

Silence. There went the attempt at a conversation.

Awkwardly, she commented, "I wouldn't think that respectful business men would be meeting at a club of all places for a 'get together and gloat about money' party."

"It is a privately owned building." He left off that he, Squall Leonhart, was in fact the owner, but that information wasn't exactly needed anyways.

They had not really talked much about their impending future the previous day. After the incident in the diner Squall had well kept his promise that she would be compensated. He took her to a designer's outfitter and had bought her the dress she wore at this moment. Oh, it did take MUCH convincing for her to even try it on, but by then she was desperate for anything to get out of his intense presence. Besides, she didn't have anything else to wear to this party. A party they were invited to just so everyone could see if the rumors were true themselves.

Although… Squall did have very good tastes… There wasn't much to the white dress he had picked out for her, but the exquisite cloth and simplicity of the design absolutely complemented her body in everyway. The jewelry he had presented her earlier with only continued to enhance her appearance.

However, whatever praises she had for his taste certainly didn't help her feel better about him as a person. His taste was probably a well made calculation of what was stylish and what was appropriate from years, and years of having to help his women play their part. Just like he was making her doing. _Like his usual whores, and tramps, and ho-hos, and WHATEVER ELSE-_

"I should debrief you on what will happen tonight."

Rinoa quieted her inner mind to throw her attention at him. She glared at him with resentful eyes. _What WILL happen? More like, what MIGHT happen_!

Silence.

…

More silence.

She tilted her head to the side. Had he spoken at all? Were her nerves so shot that she was beginning to imagine things? She bit down on the inside of her cheek and turned her gaze back towards her knees. Suddenly it dawned on her that… _no it couldn't be… but just maybe… was that his attempt at a conversation? HA!_ She grinned to herself. Just the prospect that she might even be making his life just one ounce uncomfortable right brought her great satisfaction. "What will we be doing tonight?"

"Conversing, mostly. I'll expect you to play your part well… and for heaven's sake, don't jump if I touch you. We will be meeting the closest of business associates, and they'll think it odd if you're trying to be an innocent, untouched virgin."

"For your information, I AM a-" She bit her tongue. That was information he didn't really need to know! Or anyone for that matter. She blushed furiously and turned to face the window again.

"It matters not to me if you are, or if you aren't; the point is to make sure they think we're madly in love with each other." He had a perplexed look on his face, almost as if he were half way concealing a smile and as if he were trying to plan out exactly the way things should go.

"You're enjoying this!" She whined.

"Hn."

"Stop with the 'hn'! Hn, hn, hn, hn… see? I can do it too. It doesn't make me look any cooler!" She knew she was starting to sound like a kid, but she couldn't help it. She knew she was supposed to act professional, but the situation wasn't a professional one at all.

But now he was grinning triumphantly. After waiting a few moments to let her think about she just blurted out, he bit the inside of his lip and let out a particularly long, "Hnnnn…."

If Rinoa had a pick axe, it would have gone straight through his skull. Unfortunately she did not, and so she had to forgo the pleasure. Besides, that wouldn't have been too seemly, because just as he did that irritatingly neutral noise he liked to make the Ferrari pulled up to a particularly fine looking building. She had the distinct impression that this was their destiny and she felt a cold chill run down the back of her spine. Squall parked his own car, unwilling to entrust a valet with it. When Rinoa questioned why a respectful business man such as his self wouldn't make use of the service, he replied, "Because no one drives my Ferrari but me."

The club was, to Rinoa's surprise, a relatively charming place. The lights were dimly lit and most of the usual junk that may have cluttered the club during a night of heavy partying had been cleaned and swept away. The bar was even impressive in that it had drinks that Rinoa hadn't even heard of, but she was assured that they were all of the finest quality. Personally she didn't drink because she how sensitive she was to alcohol, and Squall didn't pressure her to. She was surprised in fact that he didn't drink himself.

"Why don't you drink yourself?" She asked inquiringly.

"It's what makes me a better businessman. One man thinking clearly can outwit a room full of intoxicated people."

The evening had actually gone along quite … well! Squall rarely paid her that much attention, and when he did it was usually to wrap his arm around her should and to introduce her to business partners. Each of them were rather old men that, in Rinoa's opinion, had no business to downing such alcoholic drinks. But each of them though she was charming, and told Squall himself that she was a keeper. "That's why I'm marrying her," was his reply and he'd add a small wink afterwards and they'd all have a laugh. Only she alone seemed to notice that his laugh was completely fake.

She was, in fact, having so much fun that she forgot completely about keep appearances. When the night was already three fourths over, Squall pulled her close in and kissed her cheek (the first of the night). She did her best not to react, but it was impossible not to blush as he lingered by her ear and whispered, "This would be a good time for you to go do your touch ups."

She looked up at his face, and was surprised to find that he was actually genuinely smiling at her. "O.k.!" she replied happily, and left his side to go to the restroom.

The restroom was just as exquisitely decorated as the rest of the club, to Rinoa's dismay. It was a bathroom… did it really need such… She sighed. Whoever the owner was definitely had great tastes, but he had been a little over extravagant. There were separate rooms for the toilets rather than stalls, and so she pushed a door open deciding she should relieve herself first.

As she did her business, three other women followed in afterwards within a few minutes and began chatting very animatedly amongst themselves about the night's events. It wasn't Rinoa's way to listen in on gossip, but, she didn't exactly have a choice in the matter when they were so obnoxiously loud.

"And did you SEE the way she's been flirting with every eligible bachelor tonight?"

"Oh you just don't know her, that's her way! Besides, she has her little claws dug deep into Squall - why would she even want another man?"

"Well wasn't that what we said when we married that old fart, Cid? She's a cougar, I tell you! If she could, she'd have all the men in the world begging at her feet, and she's smart enough to do it! Blonde ambition, I tell you."

"Ha, ha yeah! And now I hear she even got Squall to take on a fake engagement, the man who said he'd never marry, just so that they can keep going at it without Cid being the wiser!"

Rinoa had no idea who they were talking about, but she remembered with vivid detail the beauty that had walked in to see Squall after reading about the engagement… Could it have been her that they were talking about? She crossed her ankles and sat up straight. Suddenly the fun of the night didn't seem so prominent. Now, in fact, all she felt was a pit of bitter despair planted right at the bottom of her stomach, even when there was no such reason to feel like that. She had known his opinion about women, had known that their engagement was just a fake, but…

She glared angrily at the back of the door. She'd make him pay. As soon as the other girls had exited the bathroom to back out to their respectful men, Rinoa exited the stall and walked to the sink. While washing her hands she looked at the mirror and examined herself carefully. After making sure that her make up was well in tact, she dried her hands off and walked back into the crowd to try to find Squall. He wasn't hard to find, he was easily one of the most attractive men in the room. And after the conversation she had just heard, it wasn't much of a surprise to her either that the beautiful blonde was attached to the side of his arm like a koala bear.

In fact, Squall didn't even acknowledge her presence at first. It was Cid who looked up (although she didn't know who he was at the time) and smiled kindly at her. "I see the vision of beauty has returned! My dear, my dear, it's good to finally meet you."

Squall turned his face to look at Rinoa. His eyes were cold and his expression was completely blank as it normally was. The woman attached to his side looked rather triumphant and arrogant at the same time as she peered around her should to get a glimpse at her. The woman gave a most charming giggle that could have been compared with the soft tinkering of bells, and let go of Squall's arm to go return to Cid's side.

Squall held out his hand to Rinoa and the corner of his lips began to tug upwards. "You're back."

Rinoa ignored his hand, but walked up closer to him in a very stiff manner. Cid, being the kind soul he is, realized her distress and said comfortingly. "You have to forgive my wife, Miss… Heartily is it?" He looked at Squall for verification, and he nodded, and he continued. "My wife Selenia is young, and she is very close friends with Squall. Aren't you sweety?"

Selenia giggled and hugged Cid. "Yes, we're very close… in fact, I dare say we'll be seeing a lot of each other. I hope you don't mind."

_I do mind! _Rinoa glared at the woman. Squall remained strangely quiet as if he wasn't quite sure how to deal with this situation, but she did not pity him one ounce. In fact, being the little devil she was, the next words slipped right out of her mouth before she even realized what she was saying (or Squall for that matter!): "Oh, I don't mind… after all, I'll need help now with all the arrangements now that we have a set date for our wedding!"

Squall was taken a back by this, but he recovered quickly from his shock and wrapped his arm around Rinoa's lower waist and pulled her close. "I thought we weren't going to be disclosing that anytime soon!" He had a stretched smile across his face, but Rinoa could tell that he was shooting daggers at her through his eyes.

Selenia narrowed her eyes, and in a very challenging manner asked, "Oh really?"

Squall pinched the side of Rinoa's waist, but she ignored it. It was his vague warning of horrors to come if she dare make one step in wrong the direction, but she could care less. "Yes, really! And oh, Squall, if they're such close friends of yours, surely it wouldn't hurt to let them know that we're set to marry one month from now?"

**BWAHAHAHA… Cliff hanger :3**


	5. The Drive Home

**AN: I would firstly like to thank my reviewers ) You guys truly do inspire me to write more! Well a most horrible thing has happened. Not only have I forgotten completely how the book went that I had based this story off of, but it's nowhere to be found, LOL. But I guess I can make this fiction more mine now, right?**

**As I type this write now I'm listening to the FF8 soundtrack. I can't say it has much inspired me at all, but it certainly does put me in the right state of mind. But it can be a little distracting unfortunately. Especially with my father sitting right beside me listening to classical music. XD Not that in itself is bad, but it clashes with the music I'm trying to listen to ( And if I turn mine up it really does interrupt my thought processes XD**

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It could have been Rinoa's imagination, but she had the distinct impression that the whole entire room had gone silent as soon as the words slipped out of her lips. The only thing she could hear was the gentle ambient music and the roaring of her blood rushing through her ears as they turned a delicate shade of pink. The stimulus which caused such a reach in her body was the very vile aura beginning to rise up around Squall as he stared down at her in disbelief.

Selenia was the first to respond as she said quietly, "But surely that's too soon!"

Having not being beaten down yet and still standing up to the challenge, Rinoa took it a step further and placed a hand delicately on Squall's chest. "Well, it's like I told Squall. Why should we wait when we know we're so madly in love with each other?" She looked up at her fiancé and gave him a very mischievous smirk. "Right, dearest?"

For a moment she was afraid that she had taken it too far. Although his expression was one of shock, his eyes told her that he could strangle her at any minute and not feel remorse. At first he opened his mouth as if he were about to say something quite to the contrary, but then he hesitated a moment as if realizing this wouldn't have been appropriate. Finally he sighed, and said, "Whatever," while shaking his head.

Selenia looked as if someone had stuck a piece of dung right underneath her nose. Clearly whatever she had expected to happen tonight, this was not it. She now looked at Rinoa with a frosty gaze that was filled with contempt, and Rinoa could not help but notice that she no longer looked like the vibrant beauty queen she had been just minutes ago.

Cid in contrast looked positively glowing. "Well this is absolutely great news!" He laughed heartily. "I had absolutely no idea that you were so quite taken by this young lady. Indeed, I had feared that you were just settling just to settle. I'm truly pleased that you have found someone to love, my boy."

Squall said nothing, but he placed his hand over Rinoa's (which was still on his chest). All too well knowing that this was not a romantic gesture at all but rather a warning, she withdrew her hand and shyly clasped it with her other behind her back. Her legs had begun to tremble and were now shaking so 

bad that she felt that if this pressure wasn't alleviated right away that she would fall over onto the ground.

Fortunately, Selenia had also felt the same way although she kept her cool about it, and with the grace of a professional she held her head up high. "Well tonight certainly has been revealing. Unfortunately I'm not too much inclined to stay here all night; after all, we have other associates with must mingle with."

The expression on Cid's face was that of child that had just forgotten that he left his homework at home. "Ah! Yes! We must, my dear." Cid intertwined his left arm with his wife's and escorted her to a different group of men and women who were all sharing a laugh over champagne.

Rinoa felt like a sheep underneath the gaze of a fierce lion. When Squall turned his gaze to her, she had to fight herself to lock eyes instead of her gut instinct to look down at her feet in submission. When he said nothing, she finally supplied her own suggestion: "Shall we… go mingle as well?"

"You've had enough mingling," he stated rather dully.

She frowned, and waited a second before asking cautiously, "I'm in trouble, aren't I?"

He didn't justify her with an answer. Instead he placed a firm and controlling hand on her lower back and led her to the exit, stopping only to give his goodbyes and apologies for having to leave early. It seemed to Rinoa that he had words for everyone except for her as he practically shoved her into his car and took off driving with no respect towards whatever the speed limit might have been.

Rinoa held onto the sides of her passenger seat feeling a little bit nervous with his reckless driving. "Squall! Please don't drive so fast! You're going to get a ticket or run into someone!" He did not answer her or even acknowledge that she had said anything. He kept his eyes straight in front of him as he came to a turn and jerked the wheel sharply, causing the tires to screech as the car made swerved into the turn.

"Are you going to talk to me at all tonight?" She asked in an exasperated tone. When she received no answer, she folded her arms and sighed. "Fine! Be that way! And while we're at it, let's just call this whole thing off and admit that we're not going to be able to handle each other until then."

"What were you thinking?" Squall's voice wasn't particularly malicious, nor was it friendly. It simply sounded curious.

"Thinking?" She turned to face him.

"Obviously you weren't, but I'll give you the benefit a doubt. What exactly was going through your head when you announced 'our plans'?" She could hear the leather on his driving gloves rub against itself as his fingers tightened on the steering wheel.

Rinoa wasn't about to admit that she had been provoked by Selenia, or was she about to explain the conversation in the bathroom she had overhead bothered her considerably. In short, she couldn't really 

tell him what she was thinking, or why she thought it. Finally, she settled for a half-truth. "It was merely a joke to rattle Cid's wife…" unconsciously she let out a little snicker, "which I believe worked pretty well; I hope I didn't ruin your uh… 'relations' with her." She made sure to put extra emphasis on the word 'relations'.

"I doubt it had any effect on my relations with her, as you put it," he stated callously. He paused a moment, as if thinking what he should say. Rinoa was thankful that his driving had become much law-abiding. "Do you even realize what you've done?"

"I doubt it's nothing that a night by the fireside with her alone and a bottle of wine wouldn't be able fix," Rinoa muttered darkly with a rather disgusted look on her face.

Squall ignored her comment, and continued. "You've made our wedding inevitable. Now we have to go through with it."

"Never!"

Rinoa covered her mouth, reprimanding herself for her outburst. But it couldn't be helped. _There is NO way I'm actually going to go through with this now that I know what this snake intended to use this engagement for, and I'm sure as hell not going to marry him!_ "I'm sorry, but you honestly can't expect me to do that! Why should we?!"

"As scandalous as our engagement was that there is an abundance of attention that has been thrown upon us. Your little outburst will more than likely be front-page worthy, and soon everyone will know that we're scheduled to be wedded in a month." He sighed, as if this were all very troublesome for him as well.

Unfortunately she had no sympathy for him. After all, he was the one making her go through with this! "But SURELY Selenia and Cid wouldn't go around telling people, would they?"

"Not Selenia, but Cid and everyone else who heard you more than likely will. You've once again landed us into a rather big mess." He pulled the car into a drive way to the apartment complex which Rinoa recognized as hers, and for a moment had to wonder how they had gotten there so quickly.

Wordlessly, Squall unbuckled himself and stepped out of the car and walked over to Rinoa's side. She sat in her passenger seat looking down at her legs, almost feeling with certainty that if things got any worse that she'd simply have to break down and cry. The unfairness of the situation was really beginning to bother her, and she could feel tear drops well up in the edges of her eyes.

He opened the door to her side of the car and stared at her expectantly . When she didn't move, he bent over and stuck his head in so that he could get a better look of her face. "If you don't get out of my car, I'll have to take you back home with me."

She sniffled a little, and rubbed her knuckles against her eyes before unbuckling her belt. Squall stepped back from the car while holding his hand out as a gentleman should. She, however, had no intention of 

giving him that satisfaction of making him feel like a better man and ignored his gesture completely. She hiked the hem of her dress up to her thighs and placed a foot outside of the car and placed her full weight onto the heels of her shoes as she began to stand up. Unfortunately the high-heels that she wore were not made very well, and immediately her left heel snapped at the pressure (which it was bound to do so at any time of the night, it just so happened that it happened at this moment). This set the poor woman off balance, and without thinking she thrust herself at Squall and clung to him to avoid falling down and scraping her knees against the hard cement.

His body reacted quickly and held her close up against him, while taking a step back to keep his own balance. He looked down immediately to see if she was ok and was a little taken back to see her onyx-like eyes staring shyly looking back up at him. A flush had begun to creep across her cheeks, and to her horror, she found herself enchanted by his blue eyes. _His body feels so…_ She wrapped her arms around his waist just a little tighter subconsciously and without realizing, had rested her chin on his chest.

"Hn."

"Oh!" She let go of him immediately. _Idiot, idiot, idiot!_ She thought furiously to herself. Of course, her close encounter with her boss had also made her forget about the fact that she now had uneven platforms to walk on, and she once again lost her balance. Luckily for her, Squall was now on the alert and caught her by the arms to help her keep balance.

"Take your shoes off," he said dully, as if it were the most obvious thing she should have done.

Rinoa nodded and allowed him to hold her left arm as a balance as she reached down and pulled off both shoes remorsefully. They were so pretty! I'll have to get another pair. She shivered as she felt the bottom of her well-pedicured feet hit the cold hard floor of the parking lot. The loose rocks of the chunky paving stung as they dug themselves into her feet.

"That's no good." He sighed and shook his head.

"What do you mean?" Rinoa asked him, tensing up her body to try and ignore the pain in her feet.

"I'll have to carry you," he said in a rather dull and mournful voice.

"What! No way!" _I'm not letting you put your hands on my body! … Again!_ "I can walk just fine! Look…"

She went to go take one step further but right before her foot could hit the ground Squall had already swooped one arm underneath her legs and the other around her torso. With a grunt and lift he was holding her up in his arms while she stubbornly flailed her legs and screamed, "Put me down!!" He ignored her and with gallant strides he made his way over to the door of her apartment and only then did he allow her to stand up on her own two feet. "You didn't have to do that!"

"There was broken glass on the pavement." He didn't need to finish the rest of what his reasons were for going against her wishes. She didn't reply, still feeling a little embarrassed, and fumbled in her purse 

for her key. When she finally found it she pushed the key through the lock but left it there for a second. She turned to face his direction, not quite sure what to say.

They stared at each other for a moment a moment in front of her door as if neither of them knew how to part company until Squall finally decided to end the stalemate. "Goodnight," he said curtly and without waiting for a response he walked to his car with a very brisk pace. Rinoa stood at her own door for a moment with her hand clutched to her heart before walking inside, fully relieved to be done with the night's events.

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**sigh Mm… Squall… you can carry me across your threshold any time you please **


	6. An Early Visit

**Well.**

**A funny thing happens when you look back at a piece of fiction you began writing two years ago; one that you fully intended to finish, yet never quite got around to. All those horrid little mistakes? You start noticing them. Blatantly.**

**I won't give any promises as to when the next chapter comes, but for now, I can provide you with this. Hopefully it's easier to read. At the very least. Thanks for everyone who has reviewed, and for all of those who decide to keep reading.**

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Upon waking in the morning, it's only to Rinoa's horror that it hadn't been a dream. Of course, the only confirmation she had to this revelation was the fact that she definitely went to bed last night. . . After spending an hour pacing about one room to the next, re-living the night's events in H.D. within her mind's eye. And now she was awake. Entangled in her covers, a slight bit of perspiration beading up across her temples, and consciously aware - in full lucidity - of the events that just took place.

"Oh, no . . ."

Oh yes. It all happened. And as if she were somehow able to metaphysically stop the onslaught of memories before they began popping up one by one, both hands raised to her head, with palms squeezing inward against her ears. "Why did I say that, why did I say that! _Why did I say that_!"

There was something wrong with this. Something morally, legally wrong, and-

-_Ring_!-

Without a second thought, the brunette reached to grasp for the phone hook - living proof that she hadn't quite caught up with the rest of society. Subconsciously twirling the cord about her index finger, she didn't dare speak first. Challenging whoever it was on the other end to take the initiative instead, she inhaled deeply through her nose, biting down against her lower lip until it blanched white.

There's a moment of silence. . . And then, with a curious tone, a masculine voice emitted through the ear piece, ". . . Greetings." Nothing further was said.

Nothing further _needed_ to be said. She knew exactly who it was without having to ask. And yet, automatically, her lips began forming the innocent, automatic question, "Good morning! Who is this?"

At first, the voice didn't offer very much in way of response. Just a crisp sound of house-line static. The silence continued to stretch, to a point where she began to withdraw the phone away from her ear, peering down at the receiver with narrowed eyes, as if trying to determine a malfunction.

" . . . I require your presence in the work place today. You'll be compensated monetarily."

"What?" Another innocent, automatic response. Even after her request for a confirmation, her jaw remained dropped, with full pink lips parted in disbelief.

"I'll expect you in two hours. Have your affairs in order by then."

-_Click_!-

Blinking once, then twice, Rinoa tugged the receiver away once more - merely to stare at it blankly, until the dead dial-tone beeps began chiming their reminders. Placing it back on the telephone hook, she pulled her knees up to her chest, locking her arms stiffly about her shins. Where one might've expected a long, lingering exhale of exasperation, she simply remained. . . Catatonic; tilting her head to the side, with her chin rested at an angle across the top of knees. Occasionally her eyes flickered toward the shower door, but as if the effort in itself was too much work, her gaze fell once more against her toes.

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A soft rapt on mahogany wood announced Rinoa's arrival. Somewhere on the other side, a chair creaked, and with a permissive, "Enter," she pressed a hand to the brass door knob to purchase entry. Not fully swinging it open, she utilized a sliver of space efficiently, slipping in between crack made, before pushing the door shut behind herself with a small, 'Thap!' The man sitting behind the desk had presumably, sometime between arrival and entry, straightened to an uncomfortably perfect posture. Shoulders drawn back and parallel against a ram-rod straight spine, Squall lifted his chin slightly in acknowledgement of her presence. "Hn." And without a further word, he gestured toward one of the leather seats to her side with an open, up-turned palm.

Placing one foot carefully in front of the other, as if interested in the way the tips of her heels sunk into the plush expanse of carpet, Rinoa slowly made her path across his office. Pressing her hands down against her knees, she bent forward just enough to seat herself comfortably, with knees pinched tightly together. "I. . . I can explain why-"

Either not wishing to put her through the trouble of explaining details, or simply not caring enough to hear it, Squall lifted a hand to silence her before quickly interjecting a finish to her statement, "-Why you were late." With a curt nod, he dismissed the subject, before rising from his desk. "I'm going to have to require-"

"No! Not why I was late!" On the verge of rising herself, Rinoa clenched her teeth together, sucking in an audible inhale from the minor irritation of his assumption. Ever neutral in his facial expressions, Squall drew his hands behind his back, clasping them together in a shallow display of patience. Taking his silence as consent to finish her own trail of thought, the brunette hastens to force out, "I can explain why I said. What I said. Last night." Pause. "And I wanted to apologize for it, and-"

"I don't really care what your reasons are," he stated bluntly, allowing a full second of awkward silence to swell between them before coming full circle to what he'd originally wanted to say. "Damage control is the objective now." Another moment of silence becomes allowed, as if fully expecting the young woman before him to burst with more agitated, flustered arguments.

Pinching her lips into a thin line, Rinoa merely glowered.

Quirking an eyebrow when a verbal response refused to rise from his forced betrothed, Squall continued on in a sinuous tone, "Family matters, decidedly, need to take priority before any other nuptial plans. Do you agree?"

Still no response on her end. Aside from the fact that her nails have begun to dig into flesh about her knees.

"You've already informed me that there's no family left to care for you. Unfortunately, the same doesn't hold true for me." Pulling his right hand forward, Squall made a point with his index finger, thumping it lightly into the desk for emphasis. "I've already informed them of our arrangement-" already anticipating a response, he raises his voice slightly, "-And it's come to a mutual agreement that a visit is in order." And then, with a sigh, he redirects his gaze elsewhere across the room, with a gratuitous, "Your thoughts on the matter will be considered."

"What am I even supposed to _say_ to your family!" Rising to her feet at this point as well, Rinoa closes the distance between herself and his desk - and hell, for a moment it looks as if she's about to round it altogether to further her assault - "And. . . And. . . !"

"I suggest," began the start of a low, dull tone, "You tell them what you've been telling everyone else. I'm most certain, by this point, that they know more of our relationship than I."

"Th-that. . . That isn't fair! That isn't a fair thing to say, and I-"

Slicing right through her flustered words, he interjected quickly, "It's already been discussed what's fair, and what isn't at this point. If these are the only objections you have, then I expect you to be packed at dawn. You'll be picked up from your home. Plan for three days in advanced; it'll only be a weekend."

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**Hopefully the personalities are a bit more in order, and the writing style hasn't changed too much that those who have previously reviewed will be disappointed.**


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